Downvalley

<b>Pam Boyd/pboyd@eaglevalleyenterprise.com</b>Pat Hollandsworth flashes a grin while a technician draws blood during the 9Health Fair held last Saturday at Eagle Valley High School. The Eagle Lions Club sponsored the event, which included free screenings and low-cost blood work.

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Members of the Eagle Valley High School faculty will show off their shooting and riding skills against members of the EVHS Class of 2013 in a Donkey Basketball game planned Wednesday, April 24.

The action will get under way at 6 p.m. at the EVHS Auxiliary Gym.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door for adults, $7 in advance or $10 at the door for students in grades seven through 12, and $5 in advance or $8 at the door for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

For more information, call EVHS at 328-8960.

The Eagle County Historical Society will host its annual Nimon Walker Award reception Sunday, April 28, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Eagle Public Library.

Nimon-Walker Award, established in 2001, recognizes individuals whose work has helped preserve the history of Eagle County.

This year's honoree is Jack Oleson. Oleson, 88, has spent most of his life in Eagle County and he is a life-long collector of antiques and artifacts. He has created a fascinating private museum near his home on the Diamond Star Ranch a few miles east of Eagle.

Oleson also spent hundreds of hours restoring historic buildings that are now located in the upper territory of that ranch. The restoration work often required dismantling, then reconstructing log buildings. The completed projects include a historic schoolhouse, complete with antique desks and a mannequin schoolmarm. He also restored the Cowden and Howl family homestead cabins, as well as the Oleson family cabin that his parents occupied near Gypsum when he was born. He is undoubtedly the only person in the county with a restored Conestoga covered wagon in his garage.

The Nimon-Walker event will feature keynote speaker Dr. Thomas Noel. Nicknamed "Dr. Colorado," Noel is a well-known Colorado historian. He is a Professor of History and Director of Public History, Preservation and Colorado Studies at the University of Colorado Denver. Noel is also the author of numerous Colorado history books and a columnist for the Denver Post. Dr. Noel will present a program featuring historic landmarks along the Colorado River.

With warmer temperatures coming, garden beds are screaming for attention and players with the Vail International Hockey Club have the situation in check.

For more than 25 years, Vail International Hockey has organized trips overseas for young local hockey players and the spring plant sale is an important part of raising the necessary funds.

This year, the organization is selling bedding plants, annual baskets, organic vegetables, basil and even compost to benefit a trip to eastern Europe in December 2015.

Local hockey players, ages 12-18, will visit six countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary in what Eric Eves, the director of Vail International Hockey, describes as a "once-in-a-lifetime experience."

The kids will play approximately 12 games in 15 days, but "the games are actually a small part of what these trips are all about," Eves said. "The kids get to experience and learn about different cultures in a way your typical tourist can't even imagine. After the games, the players from both teams eat and socialize together. It can be a life-changing experience for some of these kids and hockey is the vehicle for making it happen."

This is the 12th year for the plant sale and orders must be submitted by May 1. Delivery dates are scheduled for May 19 and June 8. Eves says the plants are grown on the Front Range, but are designed to thrive at high altitudes. Customers in past years have included local businesses, landscapers, second homeowners and hotels.

If you would like to purchase some of these plants, please contact Michael Rawlings at 970-390-9233 or Julie Alt at 970-376-3270.

Some 25,000 volunteers from Berkeley to Boston and Sitka to Sarasota will give away half a million free books in more than 6,000 towns and cities across the U.S. on April 23, World Book Night. The Eagle Valley Library District will help distribute the books.

World Book Night was introduced in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2011 to provide free books for adult readers, especially those who may not have access to books, and was launched in the U.S. in 2012.

The free books are special paperback editions of 30 titles selected for World Book Night by an independent panel of booksellers and librarians. World Book Night U.S. is made possible through the generosity of the authors, publishers, book manufacturing companies, and other partners and sponsors. Bestselling authors Ann Patchett and James Patterson are this year's honorary chairpersons.

The Gypsum Public Library will host a special book giveaway and reception on Tuesday, April 23, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The book title that they will distribute is "Looking for Alaska" by John Green. The books are intended for members of the community who might not have the means or access to printed books and who are of high school age or older. At the same time, library staff will encourage all patrons to share their favorite reads. Refreshments will be served and the event is free and open to the public.

Staff from the Avon Public Library will be distributing books to the Seniors at the Maloit Park Senior Wellness Center, and the Eagle Public Library will distribute books to the Golden Eagle Senior Center. The book to be given to the seniors is Favorite American Poems (Large Print Edition).

• The April Eagle Valley High School Bingo Night has a slight schedule change. The event will be held Thursday, April 25, rather than on the traditional Wednesday night. Everything else will be the same - play runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gypsum Town Hall and a $15 charge buys 37 chances to win.

• Town of Eagle trails opened for the season on Monday. Please respect the winter trail closures to protect wintering wildlife and to avoid damage to roads or trails during wet conditions.

• The Eagle Valley High School Fire and Ice Gala is planned Friday, May 3. The gala was originally slated for March 9 but a postponement was required. The rescheduled event is slated from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Gypsum Creek Golf Clubhouse and will feature cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, dancing and a silent auction. Tickets are $45 for individual or $80 per couple. Tickets are available at the EVHS main office or can be purchased directly from EVHS Foundation representatives. The Fire and Ice Gala will feature more than 100 silent auction items that have been donated for this event. Last year, the money raised by the silent auction went back to the sports, clubs and activities that secured each donation. The total amount raised by this alone was in excess of $15,000.

The Gypsum Cleanup is Saturday, May 11, at the Gypsum Sports Complex on 3295 Cooley Mesa Road.

There will be free dumping for town residents from 8 a.m. to noon. The service is not available to businesses. Proof of residence will be required. Dumpers must bring a utility bill and photo ID.

Residents should be prepared to unload their own vehicles. The town encourages people to bring friends who will help them unload. Trips will be limited to one per address for a large truck and/or trailer.

Refrigerators will be accepted with proof of freon removal. Four tires per household will be accepted. Lawn debris must be bagged or contained.